Tag: SMC Pentax-A 50mm f/2

Kosmo Foto Agent Shadow 400 is a 35mm black and white film with an ISO rating of 400. It is a high-speed, versatile film used in various lighting conditions, from bright sun to low light. The film is manufactured by the UK-based company Kosmo Foto. It produces sharp, detailed images with good tonal range and minimal grain. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor photography. It can be used for various subjects, including portraits, street, and landscape photography. The film is also reported to have a wide exposure latitude and good shadow detail. Some users claim it produces the same or better results than Ilford HP5 Plus and Kodak Tri-X.

The 13 frames below were captured with Kosmot Foto Agent Shadow 35mm film at ISO 400 using a Pentax P3n camera and SMC Pentax-A 50mm F2 lens. But I have a secret. All of the images were edited in Adobe Lightroom. I know that some photographers believe (yes, this is about religion) that manipulating a photograph in any way is "cheating" and implies a lack of skill. I call bullshit on this way of thinking.

The fact is that cameras do not see the same way that human beings see. The camera and lens and recording medium (film or digital) cannot capture any subject or scene in the same way the human optical system (a combination of our eyes and brains) witnesses the world. Our brains and eyes have evolved over millions of years to create a perception of the visual world that is uniquely human. Insects, birds, reptiles, and other mammals receive visual data and process and interpret it differently than we do.

Each film stock or camera sensor will process light and shadow differently. The digital processor in a Fuji X-Trans digital camera will not capture and process the light the same way as the sensor in a Nikon Z digital camera. Choosing which film stock to use is a form of processing. A scene captured with Fuji Velvia will not appear the same when captured with Kodak Ektachrome E100. Digital scanners introduce even more processing when a film is developed and scanned. Why is it that when a photographer crops, straightens, colour corrects or darkens parts of an image (a.k.a dodge and burn), it is suddenly not considered "true to life", not real photography?

For a while, I have let this way of thinking infect my mind and ruin my experiences with 35mm film photography. With digital photography, I had let go of it. But this virus re-infected my mind over the last few years of reading various film photography blogs. I won't do this anymore.

When I see 35mm film grain that I do not like, I will remove it using my digital tools. I have inner ear balance issues. My photographs tend to tilt to the left. I will use horizontal correction when I need it. If I need to adjust the shadows and the highlights to make the photograph look better, I will do it. I am 55, and I have had four eye surgeries. My vision is not the best. There are dead spots in my vision and some colours each eye perceives colours differently. I will use whatever digital tools I need to create the world as I see it.

I started making photographs to make me happy and to capture my perspective. If I continue to be a hostage to others' perspectives and opinions on photography, I will not be happy.

I created digital versions of these photographs on my Fuji X-T3.